Congressional Leaders Push for Greater Local Access to Vaccines and Accurate Information

By Robert Davis

Lawmakers must do more to increase vaccination rates and access to information about vaccines for adults and children from vulnerable communities after federal legislation expires, Congressional leaders said on Tuesday. 

Members of the House Committee on Energy & Commerce met to discuss ways to improve vaccine access for vulnerable communities. In a memo to committee members, Chairman Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-New Jersey) said the COVID-19 pandemic has “reinvigorated” discussions concerning the current vaccine landscape and “presents opportunities for and challenges to immunization infrastructure and public health system in the United States.”

In a statement to the Denver VOICE, Rep. Diana Degette (D-Denver) said, “Finding ways to combat vaccine hesitancy – and increase Americans’ confidence in the vaccines – is now one of the “most consequential COVID-19 issues this subcommittee has examined.” 

That’s why this subcommittee is working tirelessly to support vaccination efforts nationwide” and is specifically focused on combatting the “rampant misinformation and outright lies spreading on social media platforms – in many cases, igniting viral hoaxes and fueling vaccine hesitancy,” she added. 

COVID vaccines are currently available to the public at no cost. The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), which was signed into law in March 2020, requires state Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance program partners to cover the vaccines without cost-sharing. Similarly, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act requires Medicare Part B to provide the vaccine to recipients for free as well. The CARES act also requires private insurers to provide the vaccine without charging administration fees. 

Additionally, the American Rescue Plan, which President Joe Biden signed into law a year after the previous legislation, provided $7.5 billion to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to distribute and administer the vaccine through federal channels. 

Phyllis Arthur, the vice president of Infectious disease and Diagnostic Policy at the Biotechnology Innovation Organization, a vaccine advocacy organization, said cost-sharing for vaccines “is senseless” because vaccines have a high societal value. 

“Vaccines not only prevent a person from getting sick, but they also prevent others as well,” she said. “Infectious diseases exacerbate underlying conditions, leading to long-term medical outcomes. COVID-19 made this clear.” 

However, vaccination rates across the country continue to languish despite the massive federal effort to get shots into people’s arms. According to CDC data, more than 300 million total doses have been administered, yet just 43% of the country is fully vaccinated. This is well below President Biden’s goal of having 70% of the nation vaccinated by the Fourth of July holiday. 

Some state and municipal-level data have recently come under scrutiny as well. For example, Colorado’s Department of Public Health and Environment reports that nearly 50% of the state is fully vaccinated. Denver’s Department of Public Health says its number is closer to 70%. Meanwhile, the CDC reports that Colorado’s fully vaccinated rate is closer to 75% while Denver’s number is closer to 40%. 

Outside of the data reporting disparities, lawmakers are concerned that vaccinations will fall off a cliff, once the federal legislation that expands vaccine access finally expires. The FFCRA is scheduled to sunset on September 30, while the CARES act expired in March.  

One group of people that has been most impacted by the languishing vaccine rate is children, especially those from communities of color or living with low-income families. The CDC reports that children received 11.5 million fewer vaccines last year because of local Shelter-at-Home orders. In the 2017-2018 school year, the CDC reports that 95% of school-age children received their inoculations – many of which include typical inoculations for influenza, rubella, and ringworm, that children receive before enrolling in public school. For comparison, only 63.8% of school-aged children received a vaccine during the 2019-2020 school year, according to the CDC. 

This disparity has primarily impacted children of color and those from low-income homes. Asian American and Black children are nearly twice as likely to refuse vaccinations than their White counterparts, according to federal data. Meanwhile, pregnant women from non-White communities are just as unlikely to receive recommended vaccines during their pregnancy than White soon-to-be mothers. 

According to Denver Health, vaccine administration in Denver has fallen from its April 12 peak of 10,000 vaccine doses administered to just north of 2,300 nearly two months later. At the same time, Denver Health reports that a greater number of people of color are “overdue” for their second COVID-19 inoculation.  Children between the ages of 12 and 17 are also being vaccinated at a much lower rate than their elders; even though the state began vaccinating this age group in May. 

During the hearing, lawmakers discussed advancing several bills to address these issues. For example, House Resolution 550, also known as the “Immunization Infrastructure Modernization Act,” would direct the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop a strategy to improve its immunization information systems and award grants to local agencies to improve their vaccine access. HHS would also be required to submit an annual report on its efforts to Congress if the bill passes. 

Similarly, House Resolution 979, or the “Vaccine Fairness Act,” would require the HHS Secretary to submit a weekly report to Congress about COVID-19 vaccine distribution. The report must include data about the distribution of doses by age, race, ethnicity, and zip code. The requirement would sunset 18 months after the initial report is made available, according to the resolution’s text.  Vaccine experts cautioned however that no legislation would be useful unless patients are receiving accurate information about vaccines more broadly. 

Dr. Yvonne Maldonado, a professor of epidemiology at Stanford University, said the rise of vaccine hesitancy has certainly been amplified by social media and other political forces.  However, she says the most concerning development is “the rapid spread of misinformation.” 

“We need to do a better job of making sure that people hear the proper messaging from trusted leaders,” she said. “That way they can hear the proper information, the right news about vaccines, and make sure they know vaccines are safe and effective.”

Denver VOICE*feature-1